Admission categories, requirements, and procedures are outlined in detail in the Admissions section of this Calendar as well as the Faculty website at www.environment.uwaterloo.ca/admissions/programs.html.
Transfer Students
Generally, transfer credit is given for courses completed at accredited post-secondary institutions in which a grade of 60% or better was obtained. The exception is Planning, which requires a grade of 65% or better in courses completed at accredited post-secondary institutions.
Transfer students, internal or external, will be required to complete a minimum of 50% of the degree requirements while registered in the Faculty of Environment. A maximum of 10.0 units may be considered for transfer credit for an Honours Program and 7.5 units for a three-year General Program. The exception is Planning, where a maximum of 5.0 units may be considered. The maximum number of transfer credits may not be granted due to the specific plan requirements needed for the degree.
Normally, external transfer credits cannot be used to satisfy Faculty of Environment Diploma requirements (Environmental Assessment Diploma, Diploma in Ecological Restoration and Rehabilitation, and Diploma of Excellence in Geographic Information Systems).
Students transferring from Faculties within the University, or former University of Waterloo students returning after an absence, generally have the option of either transferring previous UW courses with 60% or better (Planning requires 65%) without including these in the cumulative average, or transferring all relevant courses passed, and including all courses passed and failed in the cumulative average.
The specific transfer credit policies as outlined in the preceding paragraphs vary with each plan or Faculty. Students are advised to refer to the departmental or Faculty sections in the Calendar for detailed regulations. For "Failed Required to Withdraw" or readmission internal transfer credit, refer to the Environment Examinations and Standings section of the calendar.
Courses at Other Universities (Letter of Permission)
Students may request to take a course(s) at other universities for credit towards a UW degree by Letter of Permission. A Letter of Permission is granted only to students who have successfully completed a minimum of four University of Waterloo courses and who are in satisfactory standing; that is, they have satisfied the minimum cumulative average requirements for their current plan. A maximum of ten courses (5.0 units) may be taken on a Letter of Permission. Courses taken on a Letter of Permission at other institutions (except Wilfrid Laurier University) will appear on UW records as transfer credits (grade of CR) if a minimum grade of 60% or equivalent is attained with the exception of Planning, which requires a grade of 65% or better. Courses taken at Wilfrid Laurier University will appear on UW records as graded courses and the grades attained will be included in overall and major cumulative averages.
A Letter of Permission must be approved by the student's advisor prior to enrolling at the host institution and it is subject to departmental regulations. The student may obtain the Letter of Permission Form at www.registrar.uwaterloo.ca/forms/LetterOfPermission.pdf. More information about the Letter of Permission Policy and Procedures is provided on page two of the form.
Courses taken at Wilfrid Laurier University (maximum of ten courses or 5.0 units) will appear on UW records as graded courses and will be included in overall and major cumulative averages. On our Schedule of Classes, a "W" following the course number, i.e., BUS 121W, denotes a Wilfrid Laurier University course. Enrolment in these courses is achieved in the same manner as any UW course, by using Quest. To enrol in a Wilfrid Laurier University course that does not appear on our Schedule of Classes, an Undergraduate Studies Cross-Registration Form is used instead of the Letter of Permission. The Undergraduate Studies Cross-Registration Form is available at www.registrar.uwaterloo.ca/forms/CrossRegn.pdf. More information about Cross-Registration policies and procedures is provided on the form.